´óÏó´«Ã½

On 5th January 1945 my brother Terry and myself became war orphans.
My father was only 35 years old, and was stationed in the Faroe Islands (Army no. 1720216) 465 Coast Battery, Royal Artillery.
He served from 1941 to 1945 for his country. My mother Connie was informed by telegram of his death and was extremely distraught at the bad news. I had to inform my grandmother and aunties in the south end of Liverpool of my father’s death. I was only nine years old and travelled by tram to the Dingle from the centre of Liverpool to let relatives know the bad news.

I was evacuated for a short time to the Chester area of the country, but my mother was sent to Colne in Lancashire, with my brother Terry who was under school age, and these women all had their husbands at war.
It was a very bad time for Liverpool families with so much bombing especially during May 1941 when Liverpool had the worst hit throughout the six years of the war.

Mum used to receive lovely presents from my father, mostly knitwear homemade by local women of the islands. She did look beautiful in the various colours of the sweaters and cardigans. This really stayed in my mind over the years that followed the end of the war.

My early years were spent at 127, Duke Street, Liverpool but the family moved away to Catherine Street, Liverpool 8 district opposite the old women’s hospital. This move was very close to my new school in Maryland Street, off Hope Street. We stayed here until 1953.

Five battalions attended my father’s funeral and a full regimental service was held. The Padre wrote a very long letter to my mother describing the whole funeral service. He was buried in a local private cemetery in Thorshavn, grave number 255.
A photograph was sent of his grave to my mother. Mum never remarried even though she was only 33 years old when she was widowed. Her life was so sad during the war years with her mother dying quite young; also her sister was only 30 years old when she died in 1944. She was left with two young children and no husband to support her.

My early years have never left my memory and I hope my children and grandchildren do not have to go through the same experience in their lifetime.

The sixty years tribute on the 10th July 2005 was extremely well done by the ´óÏó´«Ã½, and I was really taken back to the days of the war 1939-1945.

‘This story was submitted to the People’s War site by ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Merseyside’s People’s War team on behalf of the author and has been added to the site with his/ her permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.’

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.